Managers Post Ross County

03/04/10: JM- "We are out of the race now - we had to win today. It was a long shot anyway but it is especially disappointing to lose in the manner we did."

 Jim McIntyre could only describe his side's inconsistent performance as characteristically "Jekyll and Hyde":-

"Tuesday night we were fantastic but today we were miles off it. We didn't pass the ball well, we didn't press well, we played like three separate units instead of a team. It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance; we rallied a little in the second half but not with any great authority. We were very lacklustre yet our keeper hasn't had a save to make bar the two goals.

"McDougall's chance was the big chance, Calum Woods one at the back post right before they go up the park and score. There was terrible defending at the first goal."

Steven McDougall's chance

The gaffer outlined the heart of the problem:-

"Consistency has blighted us a lot all season; we put together a great run of five wins - we draw and then we lose two games, win one and lose one. Three points out of the last four games is not going to keep you in a championship race come this time of the season. I don't think we deserved much else today."

Playing without his two first choice strikers, Andy Kirk and Graham Bayne, has not helped but Macca didn't want to put that up as the blame:-

"We have coped up to now and even the game we lost to Thistle we should have won because we had plenty chances. I am not going to use that as an excuse, the bottom line is - we just weren't good enough today.

"I am very disappointed that we are out of the race now - we had to win today. It was a long shot anyway but it is especially disappointing to lose in the manner we did."

Ross County manager Derek Adams considered his team's first half performance to be one of their best of the season.

""We gave ourselves a two goal lead and played on the counterattack. We won second balls, created a lot of chances and it was just a great performance from us. It moves us on, we have eight league games now and a semi final in three and a half weeks - it is a long season for us but we have progressed well and we had a tremendous game here today.

"It is not easy coming to East End Park, they are a premier league outfit, but three draws and now a victory against them this year shows the class we have in the dressing room. The presence and fighting quality was all there and they believed that they could come here and win.

"Dunfermline were always going to come into it in the second half but we moved the ball well, we got in behind them and created opportunities."